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I bought my first Guard models yesterday with the IG Battle Force pack, planning on making a Veteran Squad out of the Cadian Shock Troops, and using the plasma gun from the Command Squad and a missile launcher from the Heavy Weapons Squad. I was recommended to make them stand out from regular Cadian Shock Troops, so I took some of the heads from the Command Squad and Sentinel sprue and stuck them on the Cadian bodies.

Anyone else have methods of making vets look different?

Pig iron heads!

http://www.rattleheadgames.com/catalog/PIGHD6.html

they make a ton of cool head swaps that fit on the guardsmen models

They also make full models as well that are the same size as GW stuff. they make great vets or storm troopers

http://www.rattleheadgames.com/catalog/PIGKL1.html

Shove more gear than normal Guardsmen get, add battle damage, stick on any purity seals you might have, stick on any loose gear you have from other sets (if you have the Command Squad sprues there's a crap load to choose from). That's about as far as you can go with pure GW bits without major conversion work.

General concept is to make them though. Therefore applying battle damage, mixing catachan parts with cadians for a disorganized look, excessive equipment (grenades! grenades everywhere!), purity seals, badges, stripes of veterancy, etc. works.

edit: guess I write slow.

you can always swap torsos to something more bulkier, maxmini and kromlech have some nice armored torsos you can get. or if your on a buget paint thier helmets red, it can show they have a higher status in the army

Space marines set of mini pouches fit very well on IG pauldrons. The larger double-pouches can be sliced in twain and added to the side of IG backpacks, or you can use two pairs of marine pouches to create an IG backpack that stands out for your vets. If you feel like trying your skills, try sculpting a gorget for your vets. More options for veteranization by switching up the color scheme of your vets

The back packs from the Heavy weopons teams are what i use to denote my vets, but like everyone else is saying load on the bits, the more gear the more "veteran" they look, vets should be ready for anything.

Green stuff is easy to make bandages and what not out of, people look pretty bad ass with a head wrapped up/leg bound and limping/etc. When my Plasma gunners eff up and overheat they get bandaged hands...I don't care that they are all the same, it is to teach them a lesson!

Backpacks!
http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=47_50

Heads!
http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_48&products_id=115

Bases!
http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_36&products_id=143


These are a couple things I will be adding to my vet's down the road. There are other companies, like the pig iron ones that I will also be using.

Oh, here's an obvious one: take green stuff and add armor plates to knees. If you are good with kndeadadite, and small detail work, add a boot-knife too.

I think you get the gist by this point: go absolutely frakking nuts.

Good ideas. So far, the one which stands out the most for my vet squad is the Sergeant, who was made out of Command Squad parts, including one alternate torso for the Commander (the one with the Imperial Eagle on the chest but less armour), the Medic's head (which has a nice eagle different to regular Cadians), a Power Fist for his right arm and a little editted left arm with a laspistol (which saw me having to take a left arm meant for holding a heavy weapon, cutting a laspistol off a right-arm, then gluing them together). I've also got a missile launcher team, both models on that are pretty standard, and the rest of my vets use helmetless heads (because they're so badass, they don't need to wear them), one of them just a Cadian Sergeant's, the others from the Sentinel and Command Squad sprues.

other source of parts for you would be ultrasmurf scouts box

Convert autoguns out of their lasguns using boltgun parts. Also painting their armor or bdus different from the rest of the army would work too to show that they have older issue equipment.

The best looking way IMO is using the official Cadian Veteran kits off ForgeWorld.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/CADIAN-UPGRADE-PACK-HARDENED-VETERANS-WITH-SHOTGUNS.html

My friend did a kitbash with normal Cadians and Catachan infantry and command squads. They look less uniform and more tough than ordinary Guardsmen.

Get some space-wolves scout heads nothing says vet like beards and Mohawks.